Bottle soaking and washing machine.



N0. 700,5|8., Patented May 20, I902. C. H. LOEW.

BOTTLE SUAKING AND WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Jan. 8, 1902.) (No Model.) z Sheets-Sheet I.

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Patented May 20, 1902 0. H. LOEW.

BOTTLESOAKING AND WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1902.)

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(No Model.)

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. UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. LOEW, or CLEVELAND, oI-no.

BOTTLE SOAKING AND WASHING MACHINE.

,srncrrrcnrroiv forming-part of Letters Patent No. 700,518, dated May20,1902.

Application filed January 8, 1902. Serial No. 88,892. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it mag concern:

Be it known that'LGHARLES H. LOEW,a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the countyof Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented 'c'ertainnew and useful Improvements in Bottle Soaking orWashing Machines; and I;do declareth'at the following is a full,clear,,and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- My invention relates to bottle soaking or washing machines; and theinvention consists in the construction of a machine sub-;

stantially as shown and described, and particulary pointed out in theclaims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe complete machine as it appears in use. Fig. 2'is a plan view of themachine substantially onlineY Y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional elevation of the machine. Figq lis an enlargement of across-section of the endless carrier and its side supports on line X X,Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is'a plan view thereof with=a portion of the left ofFig. 4: broken away. Several distinct and material improvements aredeveloped in this machine, as will be seen, comprising first theconstruction and means of supporting-and driving the endlessbottlecarrying apron. It will be "noticed that the tank is of thevarietyhaving firstthe bottlesoaking compartment A and the bottlewashing orrinsing compartment A built in one,

as if they wereini one continuous vpiece, butadapted to be separatelyconstructed and separated for shipping,if-preferred. In this instance asuitable partition a is shown as separating that-wocompartments. Iihave'also shown the tank as constructed out of. sheet'metal; but'it may bebuilt of wood,'if-

preferred.

' relieve the friction of travel in the track 0,

provided for said rollers. Metallic plates or diately associated withthe bottle holdersor baskets d to confine the bottles; but allthebottles'are confined over their entire course 70f travel either bygravity or by a surface providedfor their confinement, wherein theywould otherwise drop out. Thus in passing over the bottom of the tankthe carrier B travelstupon said bottom, and the bottles are confinedthereby. Then as. they rise on the rear they are held in by curved plateor strips b" until they again become inverted and need no help.i.Farther along as the carrier makes its reverse travel toward thecleansing-tank the bottom of the bottles ride over and upon plate orstrips b to their discharge into compartment or tank A, into which theydrop by gravity over the lip orshort inclined delivery-plate b i i Theendless tracks or channels 0, in which chains 1) and wheels 30f .theendless carrier travel, may be of angle-iron, channel-iron, or

In this construction also there is no mechanism immeany other'suitablematerial and of any suitable construction, and itneeds but to'becontinuousand of such-strength -as .will sustain the load and the pullthat comes upon .it

through the carrier B.

In the construction uponwhich this inven- 7 tion is an improvement Isupport the'endless carrier here andthere on'spi ocket wheels enterin'to thecomposition of Ia framework with the said track and suchincidental parts as maybe necessary, asbraces or the like, to

Thus constructed and arranged the endless carrier is moved in itscircuit by power-driven sprocket-wheels E, placed, as here shown, at theentrance into tank A; but the said wheels may be set in the loop of thecarrier at its mid- In this instance fgiverigidity and firmnesslto'thestructure.

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dle, where plate 2) begins, or at some other place, and I may employ anauxiliary sprocket wheel or wheels in this loop or other place to helpwheels E in their work and produce, possibly, better operation with lessstrain on the chain. However, the present arrangement workssatisfactorily, if rightly constructed. The slack in this carrier istaken up by making the track 0 sectional at its loop, where the circularsection 0 is separate from the track C and has its own framework,adjustable by means of screw F, engaged in said section and invits ownfixed bearing in this framework for carrier B.

Now, referring again to the tank, it is seen that there is at one side arecess A the full depth of the tank and having such width that itafiords practical entrance to or into the tank at its end immediately infront of tank A. By reference to Fig. 3 it is noticed that there is aspace behind carrier B in tank A and beneath the carrier above where itoverlaps the rear of tank A to the discharge in tank A, which is closedfrom access from both side and top and in which the debris coming intothe tank ultimately is carried and accumulates. Hence the necessity of aside recess or space having the advantage of A so that the operator canat any time gain entrance into this otherwise inaccessible space andremove all accumulations without stopping the machine; otherwise theyare liable to gather and be picked up by the carrier and clog themachine.

I might reverse the idea of having rollers on the carrier'chains byplacing the rollers in the carrier tracks or guides and run the chainover them. However, I prefer the present construction.

If found necessary, there may also be side antifriction-rollers on theendless tracks or at intervals on the edge of the endless chainstorelieve possible side friction.

A feature of cleansing-tank A is the interposed screen or false bottom Ahalf Way down in the tank, which prevents bottles that may fill and sinkfrom going entirely to the bottom and serves in any event as a stopwhich yields and cannot break the bottle when the bottle drops upon. it.

The recess A may be upon either side, according to convenience, or itmay be duplicated on the other side also.

What I claim is-- 1. In bottle-soakers,a suitable tank,an endlessbottle-carrier, endless tracks supporting the carrier at all points inits travel and rollers supporting the carrier on the track and arrangedto sustain the load and prevent friction, substantially as described.

2. The tank and the endless tracks thereon, an endless carrier supportedat its edges on said tracks,and stationary parts around which thecarrier is reversed, substantially as described.

3. The tank and the endless tracks thereon, in combination with anendless carrier having rollers traveling on said tracks the entirecircuit of the carrier, substantially as described.

4. In bottle-washing machines, an endless carrier comprising chains atits edges and cross pieces connecting said chains constructed to carrybottles, endless tracks in which said chains travel, rollers to supportthe said chains throughout the entire length of their travel on saidtracks, and drivewheels engaging said chains and moving the carrier,substantially as described.

5. The tank and the endless tracks thereon constructed to support aseries of rollers, in combination with an endless carrier engaged at itsedges on said tracks and rollers supporting the carrier thereon, anddrive mechanism in the line of said tracks engaging the said carrierbetween said rollers, substan* tially as described.

6. The tank and the endless tracks thereon having a separate section atone of its turns and means to adjust said separate section to lengthenor shorten the line of travel, substantially as described.

7. The tank having two compartments, the endless track supported on saidtank and extending to the division-wall between said compartments and inposition to discharge in to the rear compartment, in combination with anendless carrier on said track provided with bottle-holding receptaclesconstructed to discharge the bottles by gravity, and means to confinethe bottles in their receptacles terminating at the edge of said secondcompartment, substantially as described.

8. The tank having a side recess extending laterally beyond the body ofthe tank and open thereto, in combination with an endless carrier andsupports therefor arranged to bring the carrier over the portion of thetank having said side recess and thus closing the space entered by saidrecess from the top, substantially as described.

WVitness my hand to the foregoing specification this 9th day ofDecember, 1901.

CHARLES H. LOEW.

Witnesses:

R. B. Moses, '1. M. MADDEN.

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